Padlock



ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A padlock having a U-shaped shackle provided with a long leg projecting within the body of the padlock. An integral rack disposed proximate the end of the long leg within the body of the padlock has cylindrically shaped teeth which mesh with a gear mounted on the end of the plug of the lock. When the plug is unlocked, the rotation of the plug drives the rack on the end of the shackle leg and opens the padlock.

The present invention relates in general to padlocks, and more particularly to improvements to padlock shackle locking mechanisms.

Padlocks hitherto available are generally cheaply made and fragile. They commonly utilize simplified locks which may be easily picked and their body or housing is often made of an assembly of relatively thin sheet metal which can be rather easily opened. In addition, the shackle latching mechanism is substantially fragile and the shackle may often be pried open or bent open by leverage effected with simple tools such as a screwdriver.

Contrary to previous art padlocks, the present invention provides a safety padlock having a positive locking mechanism cooperating preferably with the longer leg of the shackle and having a practically indestructible massive body. By using a lock according to the principles disclosed in Patent No. 3,167,943, in preference to other more conventional locks, the padlock of the invention provides a substantially pick-proof locking mechanism at a reasonable price.

1 An object of the invention is, consequently, to provide an improved padlock.

Another object of the invention is to provide a padlock which may, not be easily pried open, which is practically indestructible, and which is substantially pick-proof.

A further object of the invention is to provide an improved padlock having a lock operated latching mechanism adapted to cooperate preferably with the longer leg of the padlock shackle, and, in a modified version, providing for a latching mechanism ocoperating with both shackle legs.

Yet another object of the invention is to provide a padlock which is easy to manufacture and which consists only of few parts which may be easily machined and assembled.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent when the following specification is conr sidered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein like reference numerals represent like parts, and in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view, with portions broken away to show the internal construction, of a preferred embodiment of a padlock according to the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a front elevation view of the padlock of FIG. 1, showing the padlock in closed position;

FIG. 3 is a view similar to FIG. 2, but showing the padlock in an open position;

FIG. 4 is a side elevation view of the padlock of FIGS. l-3, as seen from line 44 of FIG. 2, and with a portion broken away to show the inter construction;

FIG. 5 is a transverse sectional view substantially from line 55 of FIG. 4;

FIG. 6 is a view similar to FIG. 5, but showing a modification of a padlock according to the invention.

3,486,544 Patented Oct. 22, 1968 Referring now to the drawings, and more particularly to FIGS. l5 thereof, an example of a preferred embodiment of a padlock according to the principles of the invention comprises a massive parallelipedonal body 10 form ing a housing and made preferably of a solid block of steel or like material. A shouldered blind cylindrical bore 12 extends partially laterally across the body and is 'provided with an overcut 14 on the end thereof where it is open to one of the largest faces of the body 10.

The cylindrical bore 12 is adapted to receive a lock, designated generally at 16, the lock configuration illustrated in the drawings conforming generally to the configuration of the short barrel length lock disclosed in US. Patent No. 3,167,943, issued in the name of Joseph Schreiber et 21., on Feb. 2, 1965, although it is evident that the present invention contemplates using any type of adequate lock as part of the combination forming the padlock of the invention. The lock 16 comprises a stationary housing or barrel 18 having a shouldered end portion 20 adapted to engage the overcut 14 on the end of bore 12. The lock housing or barrel 18 may be affixed within the bore 12 by any conventional means, although one preferred means consists in press fitting the lock barrel 18 within the bore 12. The lock 16 comprises a plug 22, rotatably mounted coaxially within a longitudinal bore in the housing or barrel 18, the plug 22 being provided with a concentric cylindrical bore 24 adapted to receive the corresponding cylindrical shank 26 of a key 28 capable, in the usual manner, of locking or unlocking plug 22 relatively to housing 18.

It must be appreciated, however, that in applications where an ordinary lock is used instead of the lock i1- lustrated herein, the configuration of the lock barrel, plug and key slot may be substantially other than hereinbefore described and herein illustrated, without departing from the spirit of the present invention.

The end of plug 22 projecting from the housing or barrel 18 within the padlock body 10 has fixedly mounted thereon a gear wheel 30 provided with a circularly arranged set of gear teeth 32 or, alternately, as shown in the drawing, with a partial sector provided with teeth 32.

The padlock of the invention is further provided with a substantially U-shaped shackle 34 having two parallely disposed cylindrical legs 36 and 38 of unequal lengths, both capable of engaging appropriate blind cylindrical bores 40 and 42 having parallel axes substantial-1y in a plane perpendicular to the plane of the axis of lock 16. When the padlock is in the closed locked position of FIGS. 1, 2 and 5, the short shackle leg 38 is engaged within the short bore 42, as a result of the teeth 32 of geared wheel 30 engaging and meshing with cylindrical tooth-like elements 44 formed proximate the end of the long shackle leg 36 comprising consecutive grooves 43 and shoulders 45 and thus defining a cylindrical rack 46, the shackle 34 of the padlock being maintained in a closed position as a result of the lock being in a locked state. When the key shank 26 is introduced in the central bore of the plug 22, thus unlocking the plug with respect to the housing 18, the plug may be rotated by the key provided with a tab engaging slot 25 to the position illustrated in FIG. 3, thus causing the teeth 32 of the gear wheel 30 which are engaged at all time with the cylindrical teeth 44 of rack 46 proximate the end of the long leg 36 of the shackle, to drive the shackle long leg 36 upwardly, as seen in the drawing, thus permitting the short leg 38 of the shackle to become free from engagement within the bore 42. Shackle 34 thus occupying the position illustrated in FIG. 3 with respect to the body 10 of the padlock, and because the teeth 44 of rack 46 are cylindrically shaped, the shackle may be rotated to any position wherein the short leg 38 of the shackle does not any longer project over the top face, as seen in the drawings, of body 10. This permits the shackle short leg 38 to be introduced through the parts to be locked or immobilized by the padlock without interference with the body of the padlock.

When it is sought to close and lock the padlock, the shackle 34 is rotated so that the short leg 38 thereof is substantially aligned above the bore 42, and key 28 is rotated in the opposite direction, thus rotating plug 22 driving gear wheel 30 and causing the long leg 36 of the shackle to be driven downwardly until the lock is in the locked position of FIGS. 1, 2 and 5, with the short leg 38 of the shackle securedly projecting within the bore 42.

FIG. 6 represents a modification of a pad-lock according to the invention, comprising generally a structure similar to the structure of the example of padlock of FIGS. 1-5, but further provided with a freely rotating gear wheel 48 rotatably supported by means such as a pin 50 and disposed in a cavity or pocket 52 formed within the body 10 of the padlock. Gear wheel 48 is provided with a first set of teeth 54 adapted to be driven by teeth 32 of the gear wheel 30 mounted on the end of the lock plug 22, and with a second set of teeth 56 adapted to engage corresponding rack forming teeth 58 formed on the end of the short leg 38 of the shackle 34. In this manner when lock 16 is in the locked position shown in FIG. 6 shackle 34 is maintained in a locked position as a result of the teeth 44 of the rack 46 on the end of the shackle long leg 36 engaging the teeth 32 of the gear wheel 30, and as a result of teeth 56 of gear wheel 48 engaging rack 58 of shackle short leg 48. When the lock plug 22 is unlocked with respect to the lock housing or barrel 18, and gear wheel 30 is rotated clockwise as seen in the drawing, free rotating gear wheel 48 is rotated counterclockwise so that its teeth 56 are caused to drive upwardly, as seen in the drawing, the short leg 38 of shackle 34. It can thus be seen that the modification of the invention shown in FIG. 6 provides not only for latching of the long leg 36 of the padlock shackle but also for latching of the short leg 38 thereof when the padlock is in a closed and locked position.

Having thus described the invention with respect to only illustrative examples of the principles thereof, to which many modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, what is claimed as new and falling within the scope of the invention is:

1. A padlock comprising a body, a substantially U- shaped shackle provided with a long leg and a short leg adapted to slidably project within said body, a lock having a housing fixedly mounted in said body and a plug capable of rotating relatively to the said housing when said lock is unlocked, a gear mounted on one end of said plug projecting within said body, and a rack integrally formed on the end of said long leg of the shackle projeeting within said body and adapted to be engaged by said gear on the end of the plug, wherein said rack is provided with cylindrically shaped teeth-like elements so as to permit rotation of said long leg around its axis with respect to said body.

2. The padlock of claim 1 wherein the body is made of a solid block of metal provided with cylindrical bores adapted to receive respectively the housing of said lock and both legs of said shackle.

3. The padlock of claim 1 wherein the body is made of a solid block of metal provided with cylindrical bores adapted to receive respectively the housing of said lock and both legs of said shackle.

4. The padlock of claim 1 further comprising a freely rotating gear meshing with said gear on the end of the plug, a rack proximate the end of the short leg of the shackle, said rack being adapted to normally mesh with said free rotating gear when said shackle is in a closed position.

5. A padlock comprising a body made of a massive block of metal, a blind bore in said bore adapted to receive a lock, two parallel blind bores in said body disposed with their axes in a plane substantially at a right angle to the axis of the bore adapted to receive said lock, a shackle substantially U-shaped and provided with a long leg and a short leg, each adapted to be slidably engageable within said last named bores in said body, said lock including a stationary barrel fixedly mounted in said first named bore and a plug rotatably mounted within said barrel coaxially therewith and adapted to be unlocked with respect to said housing by means of an appropriate key, a gear member mounted on the end of said plug projecting within said first named bore, said gear member being rotatably drivable by said plug when unlocked with respect to said barrel, a plurality of alternately disposed annular grooves and shoulder portions proximate the end of the longer leg of said shackle and of a shape adapted to engage the teeth of said gear, whereby said long leg of said shackle projecting within said body is translatable under the action of said gear from a first position causing the short leg of said shackle to engage its appropriate bore in said body to a second position causing said short leg of said shackle to be disengaged from its appropriate bore and so as to permit said longer leg to be rotatable around its axis with respect to said body when in said second position.

6. The padlock of claim 5 further comprising a freely rotating gear member disposed in a cavity in said body and adapted to mesh with said gear on the end of said plug, teeth disposed proximate the end of said short leg of said shackle and adapted to mesh with said free rotating gear when said short leg is engaged within its appropriate bore in said body.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,222,545 4/1917 Gross -38 1,372,020 3/ 1921 Grimes 703l 1,572,122 2/ 1926 Pietrie 7031 FOREIGN PATENTS 33 6,965 5/ 1921 Germany.

MARVIN A. CHAMPION, Primary Examiner.

E. J. MCCARTHY, Assistant Examiner, 

